Every year, I try to put on a Christmas party--not so much for other people as for myself. I'm only half-kidding about that. While I most certainly do enjoy having friends over for the holidays, I really do love putting out a table full of delicious eats.
Because I cannot boast a formal dining room, I decided long ago that rather than having only two or three people over at a time for a dinner I would invite more people for drinks and hors d'oeuvres.
The menu this year was as follows:
Heavyset Cheeseball
Cocktail Shrimp
Olives
Sausage Balls (see my earlier post)
Spinach and Goat Cheese Tartlets
Bruschetta (my own make-shift recipe)
Christmas Stollen (purchased)
and a bowlful of Hershey's Kisses
I also served red wine (Espiritu de Chile 2006 Carmenere), and a Chardonnay (2006 Meridian), and the usual array of soft drinks.
I typically try to do this sort of menu with a mixture of homemade and purchased items to make things a little easier on myself. This was especially necessary this year since I decided to give my Christmas tins as party favors this year. (See next post).
The heavyset cheeseball proved a crowd favorite. Everyone was initially awed by the presentation, and then loved the flavor. The recipe seemed a little light on flavor so I added a good bit more dill and a smidgeon of garlic powder. It was just right. For the green garnish, I simply used the extra dill.
I've posted before on the sausage balls, and they were yet again a big hit.
My personal favorite was the tartlets. In this, I may be biased by my steadfast opinion that there is nothing that cannot be improved by goat cheese. I also made these for a party earlier this year. They really are incredibly easy to make. I do recommend using the pre-made phyllo cups. They are a huge time-saver. I also use only one teaspoon of lemon zest instead of two. The first time I made these, I followed the recipe and they were too lemony.
For the bruschetta, I forgot the basil. In my defense, I had been running around like a mad woman getting ingredients and doing Christmas shopping. I realized as I began chopping the tomatoes that I had forgotten the basil, and made a decision to go without it. I did tomatoes, shallots and garlic with salt and pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Turned out great. I do highly recommend getting the bakery to slice a baguette for the bruschetta. I've noticed many places selling pre-made and packaged bruschetta chips/slices, but nothing beats freshly toasted bread.
Everyone gets bombarded with sweets this time of year, so I chose to keep the dessert simple. Christmas stollen and Hershey's Kisses fit the bill and looked great on the table.
Now to the more artsy side of my Christmas party. I couldn't find votive holders I liked at a price I could swallow, so I improvised. I have a collection of ribbon remnants from previous Christmases, so I had an epiphany. I bought two plain votive holders at $1 each, wrapped a piece of holly and ivy ribbon around them and voila! Festive candles!
Originally, I had planned to use paper plates and cups for the party, but I decided against it. I get to drag out my Noritake so rarely, and this would be so few dishes that I had to go for it. I'm happy I did. It really added to the ambience. I also decided against plastic cups. I did have to buy some goblets but I got them for practically nothing at Ross and I can always use them. I also bought a pair of foil red serving plates to add a little extra color to the table.
Overall, it was a very nice evening. Great company and great food.